CSU and UC in favor of loan program for undocumented students

The Cal State University system is considering implementing a loan program that would bridge the financial gap for undocumented students by allowing them to apply for federal financial aid.

The California State Senate committee on education approved Senate Bill 1210, the “Postsecondary Education: California Student Education Access Loan Program,” with a 5-0 vote on April 9, and the bill is now being reviewed by the Senate Appropriations Committee for further discussion on financial issues, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The State Education Access Loan, proposed by SB 1210, is a loan program in which funds are distributed for eligible students by each participating campus.

“These are students that, through no fault of their own, are in the U.S. trying to obtain a higher education, trying to pursue their goals in higher education,” CSU Spokesman Mike Uhlenkamp said. “It’s not necessarily diverting aid from students who already have citizenship.”

Both the University of California and CSU systems are backing SB 1210.

“The CSU is behind the bill, but we are still anxiously anticipating the final details,” said Interim Cal State Long Beach President Donald Para. “It is currently being floated, and people are talking about it; it’s a lot of money however we slice it.”

If passed, the bill will allow Assembly Bill 540 students to apply for financial aid, including Pell Grants and federal loans. Signed in to law in 2001, AB 540 allows eligible undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at public universities, according to the CSULB Office of Government, Legislative and Community Relations.

“The lack of financial aid for AB 540 students puts a financial burden on them that is not the same for other students,” Uhlenkamp said. “Unfortunately, because of the inability of these students to obtain federal financial loans, they face a disproportion of financial burden.”

The bill requires each participating campus to contribute discretionary funds into its respective revolving SEAL funds, according to the bill’s text.

Elizabeth Zambrano, Associated Students Inc. secretary for cultural diversity and an AB 540 student, said she is in favor of the loan access being proposed to students like her.

“In some states, [undocumented students] can’t even access in-state tuition, so I’m lucky enough to have that in California because of AB 540,” Zambrano said. “We have a mix in that there’s some students that don’t believe that we should be getting loans because it can get us into debt and that we should be pushing for federal aid as well as more scholarships.”

Rigoberto Rodriguez, a Chicano and Latino studies professor, said he supports any policy that provides financial assistance to students who desperately need it but admits there is a bigger issue when it comes to funding for education.

“I have mixed feelings about this policy, as I do with most Band-Aid policies at the intersection of immigration and education,” Rodriguez said. “With this policy, we are doing the same disservice to undocumented students as we are with the rest of our students: saddling everyone with debt to pay for their education.”

Sean Khalifian, a senior history major, said he feels the loan program for undocumented students will have greater future consequences than people expect it to.

“I think undocumented students are often the ones who are in need of the most financial assistance, given their unique circumstances, so this bill is definitely a step in the right direction,” Khalifian said.

Para said he is proud to see more advances towards financial assistance for students who lack funds needed to reach their educational goals.

“We know that we can transform lives, but you have to be able to get into school, have access and afford it in order to graduate because … the impact on students is great, but the impact on society is greater,” Para said. “I hope that someday we won’t have to talk about AB 540 and that we have an immigration law that makes that conversation historic.”